Debris bagger

ABSTRACT

A mobile yard Debris Bagger attached to a common vacuum shredder to bag shredded yard debris directly to a common plastic or paper disposal bag. The disposal bag is mounted to a tubular adapter ring. The tubular adapter ring is installed in the larger end of the tapered fifter bag. A clamp ring holds the bags onto the tubular adapter ring. The smaller end of the tapered filter bag is attached to the outlet of the vacuum shredder. The shredded debris flows through the filter bag to the disposal bag on the tubular adapter ring. The filter bag acts as an air vent and pathway to deposit the debris into the disposal bag. The bag protector attached to the bottom of the tubular adapter ring keeps the disposal bag from being damaged as the bagger is pulled behind the user.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/679,206 Filed on May, 10, 2005.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVEVLOPMENT

Not applicable

REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX

Not applicable

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The novel invention relates to a mobile apparatus for bagging shredded debris directly to a common trash disposal bag. The present invention is an attachment to a common leaf blower/vacuum shredder. The use of a vacuum shredder to collect yard debris has many advantages. First, it is portable and will go anywhere the operator can walk. Second, it will shred the debris reducing the volume from 10 to 1 in size. This saves trash disposal bags. It also prepares the material for composting or use as mulch. The reduced debris is collected in a filter bag attached to the shredder that allows the exhaust air from the shredder to vent and the debris to collect. This filter/collecting bag normally has a volume of 1.5 bushels or about 15 gallons. The operator must carry it. It must be dumped regularly as it fills up. The operator is forced to stop the shredder, open the filter bag and shake or dump the contents of the filter bag into a container or carry it to a collection site to dump it. Another reason the operator wants to dump the filter bag often is because, as the bag fills, the backpressure on the shredder increases. This is caused by debris covering the pores in the filter bag producing backpressure on the shredder. This backpressure reduces the ability of the vacuum to pick up debris to be shredded.

-   The vacuum shredder has few options for bagging its output: a. The     shredder shreds the debris down to a 10 to 1 ratio and deposits it     into a filter bag. The filter bag must be emptied often because of     its 15-gallon capacity. This 15 gallons of shredded debris can weigh     as much as 30 pounds. The operator must carry the shedder and the     filter bag. U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,115 to Webster; U.S. Pat. No.     5,638,574 to Haupt, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,325,163 to Mattson, et     al. -   b. The operator can use a device with a hose attached to the     discharge of the shredder and thereby deposit the debris through a     special venting lid to a trashcan or frame that may be lined with a     disposal bag. U.S. Pat. No. 6,574,829 B1 to Marcum et al. and U.S.     Pat. No. 4,713,858 to Kelber. This device is good for working in one     area. The trashcan or frame will have to be moved when the operator     gets too far away for the hose to reach the lid. It is difficult to     move the trashcan or frame and hold the vacuum shredder at the same     time. Therefore it is not as portable as the vacuum shredder.     Additionally, when the disposal bag gets full the operator must     remove it from the trashcan and carry the debris bag to a dumpsite. -   c. The operator can pull the filter bag mounted on wheels behind     him. U.S. Pat. Appl. No. 2003/0131435 A1 to Madhat. This is an     improvement because the operator is relieved of carrying the bag of     debris. He still has to lift the weight of the bag, debris and     wheels to dump the debris from the filter bag.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The object of the present invention is to bag shredded yard debris directly to a disposal bag.

It is also the object of this invention to make this process more efficient.

It is also the object of this invention to be as mobile as the shredder.

It is also the object of this invention to reduce the dust created in this process.

The present invention allows:

Free movement of the operator, bagger pivots easily because it has no wheels.

Debris will be deposited directly to the disposal bag with no re-bagging of debris.

A disposal bag change without ever having to lift the weight in the bag of debris.

Transport of a full bag to a drop location without lifting the bag of debris.

Increased efficiency of the vacuum/shredder, no extra backpressure on the vacuum device slowing the flow from the shredder.

The design also allows for a much larger filter bag with smaller pores resulting in better filtration of the debris stream from the shredder. The filter bag can be made larger because the operator does not need to carry it.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the Debris Bagger (3) in use with the operator of the vacuum shredder (1) pulling it behind him. The air flowing from the operating vacuum shredder inflates the disposal bag (8) and the tapered filter bag (2). The debris from the shredder flows through the tapered filter bag into the disposal bag. The tapered filter bag (2) allows the air pressure from the shredder (1) to be vented. The tapered filter bag (2) also acts as a towrope to pull the Debris Bagger (3). The disposal bag (8) is a common trash bag.

FIG. 2 shows the parts of the Debris Bagger (3) from FIG. 1. The tubular adapter ring (4) with a ridge (12) on one end of the outer circumference provides a place of connecting the filter bag (2) to the disposal bag (8). The disposal bag (8) is placed inside the adapter ring (4) from the ridge end and folded over this ridge, as one would install any disposal bag into a trashcan. Paper or plastic disposal bags may be used in this Debris Bagger (3). The bags are held in place by the clamp ring (5). The ridge (12) on the tubular adapter ring (4) is made tall enough to keep the clamp ring (5) and bags (2), (8) from slipping off of the tubular adapter ring. The tubular adapter ring (4) is of a circumference suitable for use with disposal bags and able to fit inside the large end of the filter bag (2). This tubular adapter ring (4) provides a stable connection between the bags (2), (8). The bag protector (6), fastened to the adapter ring (4) at holes (13), (14), (15), (16) supports and protects the disposal bag (8) while it is dragged behind the operator. A hook and loop strap fastener (9) attached to the filter bag on the small end is used to seal and connect the filter bag to the shredder's debris discharge. The damp ring (5) is made of a stiff material. This stiffness holds the filter bag open facilitating the installation of the clamp ring (5) over the open end of the disposal bag (8) on the ridge of the tubular adapter ring (4). One end of the clamp ring (5) has a rectangular slip buckle (10). The other end has a section of hook and loop fastening tape (11) of appropriate width and length to fit through the slip buckle (10) and to tighten the clamp ring (5) by cinching.

FIG. 3 shows the bag protector (6) attached to the tubular adapter ring. The bag protector is attached to the adapter ring (4) with removable fasteners (18) such as small bolts through the matching holes (13), (14), (15), (16) shown on FIG. 2. There are two slits (17) in the leading edge of the bag protector sheet. These holes and slits are arranged in such a way as to lift the front edge of the assembly and tilt the tubular adapter ring back when the adapter ring and the bag protector are fastened together. This enables the assembly to be dragged behind the user without snagging on curbs, yard debris and walkways.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is pulled behind the operator by the tapered filter bag attached to the tubular adapter ring that comes with the bagger. This tubular adapter ring is made of a suitable size, stiffness and material to hold the top of a common trash disposal bag in an open position. The top end of this adapter ring has a ridge on the outer circumference. The purpose of this adapter ring is to attach the open end of the filter bag to the open end of the disposal bag. A disposal bag is installed into the top ridge end of the adapter ring and folded over the ridge. This is done just as if the adapter ring was the top of a trashcan. The adapter ring is installed into the outlet end of the filter bag and held in place with a clamp ring. The clamp ring is made of stiff material of appropriate length and width to clamp the bags onto the adapter ring. The disposal bag is held in place by this same clamp ring that is made into the edge on the large end of the filter bag. The clamp ring may be made of hook and loop tape with a cinch buckle on one end for tightening the clamp around the adapter ring. The clamp ring seals the connection between the adapter ring and the bags. The smaller end of the filter bag is attached to the discharge outlet of the vacuum shredder with a comparable hook and loop strap. In the preferred embodiment, the adapter ring, stiff clamp ring and bag protector are made of a solar resistant plastic such as High Density Polyethylene, Polypropylene or Poly Vinyl Chloride.

As the operator runs the shredder; the shredded debris flows from the shredder through the filter bag into the disposal bag. The stream of debris from the shredder flows through the central volume of the tapered filter bag. The air forced into the bags by the vacuum shredder inflates both bags. This air pressure stabilizes the connected bags. This air flowing down the middle of the filter bag deposits the shredded debris into the disposal bag. The air returns to the filter bag along the perimeter of the bags to be vented.

The bag protector attached to the tubular adapter ring is made of suitable size and material as to protect the disposal bag from damage as it is pulled across the ground behind the user. This apparatus allows the operator to move freely across the ground, sidewalk or even rocky terrain collecting and shredding debris. The disposal bag can hold two to four times as much shredded debris as the original filter bag that was provided with the vacuum shredder.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION continued

The present invention can use 20 to 50 gallon bags. This allows the operator to choose the size of bag needed for the job and to work longer between stops for dumping the debris. The backpressure on the shredder will not increase because the filter bag will not begin to fill up until after the disposal bag is full. Therefore the ability to pick up debris is not reduced. This makes the flow through the vacuum shredder more efficient.

When the disposal bag does get full the operator stops the shredder, removes the clamp, ties the disposal bag closed and installs a new disposal bag. He may want to pull the assembly to where he wants the bag deposited and remove the clamp, tie off the full bag, then simply roll it off.

When a new disposal bag is attached to the adapter by the clamp on the end of the filter bag the operator is ready to start collecting debris again. The operator never had to pick up the bag of debris. He only had to bend down to release and tie off the full disposal bag and to install a new disposal bag. This apparatus will save physical human effort to accomplish the task of vacuuming and disposing of debris.

The process will also be cleaner with the present invention because the fiter bag is designed to be much larger. This larger filter bag is made with smaller pores through which the air is vented. This would allow fewer particles to escape the bagging process.

There are other types of debris shredders that are placed on the ground and the debris is raked into them. These also have filter bags to collect the debris. These shredders could also reap similar benefits with the present invention installed at the output. These include:

-   No re-bagging of shredded materials -   No carrying of bagged debris. Debris is dragged to the dumpsite on     the Debris Bagger. -   There is a great potential for other uses of this bagging system     that will become apparent as it is understood and applied.

It should be understood that this description is only illustrative of the invention. Those skilled in the art can devise many alternatives, modifications and variances without departing from the spirit of the invention. The present invention is intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances that fall within the scope of this disclosure. 

1. We claim a mobile debris bagger for use with a vacuum shredder comprising: a filter bag made in a tapered shape with one small inlet and 1 larger outlet connecting a debris discharge to an adapter ring an adapter ring made of durable plastic in a tubular shape with a ridge on the outer circumference of one end a bag protector made of a rectangular sheet of durable plastic fastened to the bottom periphery of the adapter ring 